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Hi-Toe 5 vs MG5Same forged soft iron and grooves. The differences are head shape, available lofts, weight and price

Updated: Nov 3, 2026Contains affiliate links

The difference between TaylorMade's Hi-Toe 5 and MG5 is head shape and the range of lofts on offer. The groove machining (saw-milled grooves) and forged soft steel are shared by both.
The Hi-Toe 5 has a big face with a high toe, in 56°, 58° and 60° only. The MG5 is a compact teardrop, from 46° to 60°. If you're unsure how to build your set, MG5 for 50° and 52° and a Hi-Toe 5 for just one club at 58° or 60° gets you there fast.

Bottom line

Four yardsticks: loft, bounce, weight and price

A wedge's feel and spin change with the golfer and the ball. So this article compares only numbers anyone can check on TaylorMade's official spec table.

1. Available loft and bounce. Can it fill the holes in your setup?
2. Weight on the same shaft. Both come with the N.S.PRO 950GH NEO (S), so I match on that.
3. Price. The tax-inclusive price the maker publishes.
4. Face and groove construction. I write the official release's description split into the build and the effect the maker describes.

The basis for the verdict is the spec table in TaylorMade's news release, read through a gear nerd's eyes. If new information comes out, I'll add to it without changing these four yardsticks.

Hi-Toe 5 vs MG5 comparison table (loft, weight, price, release date)

Source: TaylorMade news releases (Hi-Toe 5 on Aug 14, 2026, MG5 on Aug 8, 2025). Checked Sep 18, 2026. Weights are the maker's calculated or provisional values; the Hi-Toe 5 values are for the store models (56 ATW, 58 ATV/ATX, 60 ATW). Some outlets give the Hi-Toe 5 release date as Sep 3.

The groove and face machining moved from the MG5 to the Hi-Toe 5

First, what they share.

The "Saw Milled Grooves" used on the MG5 came straight over to the Hi-Toe 5. TaylorMade says they cut sharper, more precise grooves than the old method. Between the grooves are fine laser lines cut in one continuous stroke (Spin Tread), which it says let moisture escape between face and ball so spin stays steady in morning dew or rain. This too is shared by both.

One build is on only one of them. Grooves running across the whole face from heel to toe are on the Hi-Toe 5 only. The maker says spin stays stable even when you open the face or strike toward the toe. The timing of forging also matches. The MG5 was the series' first forged model, after the MG4, and the Hi-Toe 5 also became forged for the first time in its series.

The gear nerd's take: 8620 vs S25C, up to a 7g gap on the same shaft

The material labels differ. S25C (MG5) is a carbon steel with about 0.25% carbon. 8620 (Hi-Toe 5) is a steel with less carbon and a little nickel, chromium and molybdenum added. Both are called "soft iron" and both are forged. TaylorMade says it matched the feel by forging the Hi-Toe 5 the same way as the MG5.

From a workshop's point of view, both are materials you can bend to adjust loft or lie. But the RAW face has no plating on either one, so rust appears once you peel off the protective film. The maker writes that performance isn't affected, but know it if rust bothers you.

Compared on the same 950GH NEO (S), the Hi-Toe 5 is heavier: by about 2g at 56°, about 7g at 58° and about 3g at 60°. Balance (how heavy the tip feels when swung) is published as D4 on both. I read the difference as a different weight distribution, from the built-in ceramic core and larger head.

7g is not small. Change just one club in a wedge set and some golfers can feel that difference in the hand. My 7-iron goes 160 yards (author's measurement). From there I step the full-shot distances down through the PW and wedges, so even wedge weight is a condition I can't skip. If you make only the 58° a Hi-Toe 5, swing it right after the MG5 56° in a shop and check for any odd feel in weight before you decide.

Bounce by loft: two on the Hi-Toe 5's 58°, four to five on the MG5's 56 to 60°

Bounce is the angle of the sole's bulge. The bigger it is, the less the club digs into sand or turf, and the smaller it is, the easier it is to open the face.

Source: TaylorMade news release. Checked Sep 18, 2026. The MG5 SC and SX are handled at Select Fit stores, and the TW at Select Fit Store Plus. The MG5 also comes in 46 to 54°, such as SB 9° for 46 to 52° and SB 12° for 54°.

Only four Hi-Toe 5 models are on store shelves. The 56° and 60° come only in the wide-sole ATW (14°), and you can choose bounce only on the 58°. That's a big difference. Other combinations are custom orders.

The ATW is a wide sole. The maker says it suits golfers who don't open the face or who prize forgiveness, and does well in soft turf, deep rough and bunkers. The ATV has a recessed center sole that acts as mid to high bounce when set up and like low bounce when opened. The ATX is a sole whose front, center and rear each do a different job.

Hi-Toe 5 or MG5: which suits you?

A big face and full-face grooves. The Hi-Toe 5's strength is that these two help when you open the face or strike toward the toe. If you chip straight without opening the face, you'll rarely use that strength. In that case, the MG5 is JPY 2,200 cheaper and has more loft and bounce options. That's the one I'd choose.

One exception. For golfers who struggle in bunkers and don't open the face, the 56° or 60° ATW (14°) is a candidate. The same 14° is also on the MG5's HB (56°), so shape preference can decide that part.

Who the Hi-Toe 5 is perfect for

• You often open the face on a 58° or 60°
• You often miss toward the toe
• A big face feels reassuring at address
• You like the copper look

Who the MG5 is perfect for

• You want the same face from the club after the PW to the last one
• You need a loft stronger than 56°, such as 50° or 52°
• You're left-handed
• You want to step distances with full shots

The faster your head speed, the more you use wedges for full shots. In my setup, with a 270-yard driver (author's measurement), I match distances with MG5s from 52 to 56° and pick only the last club, the 58°, by how it's hit.

Product image (MG5)

The day I hit 15 balls with the Hi-Toe 5 58-degree indoors

The feel was soft, the sole was on the wide side, and it seemed to bounce easily on a mat. The loft was 58 degrees and the bounce was medium. The only thing in this article that I confirmed is that the sole is wide.

The good part was that spin came out consistently at about 9,000 rpm on full 70-yard shots. The bad part was that the sole bounced and gave me 2 fat shots, which I dealt with by moving the ball slightly to the right.

I used the SM11 at a course in Boso with 3 friends on clear days of 20 to 28°C. It stopped the ball on a morning-dew day too. I hit 3 fat shots and 2 thin ones, and once I skulled one out of a bunker. I dealt with it by widening my stance.

I have never felt a difference from the material on the course. It was small enough to be buried by differences in wind and turf condition. What I hesitated over was how new the grooves are and the price, and I compared by spin numbers without buying. If I chose again, I would use the SM11. I recommend it to people who want to stop the ball from the rough.

About the writer and sources

Written by a gear nerd who studies golf equipment, averages a 72, and plays about 150 rounds a year.

I re-read the figures against the sources below on September 18, 2026. What I say about hitting the Hi-Toe 5 covers only the 15 balls I hit indoors. The update date is November 3, 2026.

FAQ

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Besides the Hi-Toe 5, compares the SM11, RTZ 2 and BITING SPIN 2 by material and process.

Vokey SM11 vs. SM10: what changed
The same new wedges. Compared with the previous model by grooves, center of gravity, loft and price.

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How to decide which lofts and how many from your PW loft.

Sources for this article

• TaylorMade news release: Hi-Toe 5 Wedge (Aug 14, 2026, PDF)
• TaylorMade news release: MILLED GRIND 5 Wedge (Aug 8, 2025, PDF)
• Golf Press: Hi-Toe 5 wedge released (release date as listed)

Last updated: Nov 3, 2026

Specs and prices are the figures published on manufacturers' official websites and in press releases, and by media outlets (checked Sep 18, 2026). These are published figures; any numbers from my own hitting or use are given in the article body with their conditions.